Requirements Gathering

About Giant Eagle

Giant Eagle is one of the largest food retailers and distributors in the United States, primarily in western Pennsylvania, Ohio, north-central West Virginia, Maryland, and Indiana.

The company offers extensive products and services, including grocery items, fresh foods, prepared meals, fuel, and convenience items.

Giant Eagle came to us…

And asked us to make better meal solutions!

But when we spoke to our clients and dug through the data, we found some useful information that helped us reframe the problem:

Reframed Problem

How might we reduce decision fatigue & capture smaller purchases throughout the week through innovative meal services?

Understanding The Problem Space

Desk Research

I guided my team in conducting desk research to understand customers’ attitudes toward Giant Eagle

We learned that…

• Giant Eagle is usually not the first choice for groceries but is opted for due to convenience & proximity to workplace and homes
• Many people dislike Giant Eagle because of its high prices
• Giant Eagle lacks health focus and dietary inclusivity for people with specific needs
• Specialty items not found in Aldi or Whole Foods are a significant draw for some
• The myPerks loyalty program is a bonus

Competitor Analysis

We dove into all the indirect competitors of Giant Eagle trying to answer the question - “What Customer Needs Are Competitors Fulfilling?”

Learning about the Users

Intercept Interviews & In-store Observations

At 4 Giant Eagle locations, 2 GetGo locations & 1 Trader Joe’s

Who? We spoke to 8 customers and 4 employees at Giant Eagle establishments, and 1 employee at Trader Joe’s. Why?

We asked customers about their shopping frequency for meal solutions, important factors when choosing meals, reasons for shopping at Giant Eagle vs competitors, and recent experiences with Giant Eagle's meal solutions.

We asked store managers about the most popular meal solutions purchased by customers and common customer inquiries.

Key Findings

Synthesis

After gaining a deep understanding of the typical Giant Eagle shopper, we determined that our strategy should focus on addressing their specific needs and preferences to increase their spending with us.

Our research data helped us to create a detailed persona for our target customer:

Utilizing data from intercept interviews and informal conversations with our target demographic, we mapped out the typical lunchtime journey for young, busy working professionals:

We discovered that addressing decision fatigue (or enabling hyper-convenience) during lunchtime could significantly enhance the health and wellness of this group by resolving a major pain point that many experience.

Identifying Opportunities

After multiple rounds of rapid ideation, we determined that implementing our idea of vending machines stocked with healthy, ready-to-eat meals in strategic locations like campuses, workplaces, and public areas best aligned with our users’ needs and business objectives:

• Enabling hyper-convenience
• Catering to health and nutrition
• Capturing impulse buys and smaller spends
• Can be positioned to serve younger, working professionals

Testing Concepts

To determine the viability and implementation strategy for vending machines, we conducted a second round of research that involved:

• Secondary research to explore how meal vending machines operate in the USA & other countries
• Survey
• Ethnographic study of Farmer’s Fridge

Survey

A short <5 min survey with 10 questions was distributed on campus. Who? 31 respondents including faculty, staff and students on campus Why? To understand frustrations with current food options on campus, frequency of purchasing food, influential factors in deciding where to buy food, preferred food sources, acceptable price ranges for vending machine meals, and desired types of products in vending machines

Ethnographic Study of Farmer’s Fridge

Staked out a Farmer’s Fridge vending machine that sells meals to intercept people Who? 5 people who used the vending machine at lunchtime including faculty and students Why? To understand the usage patterns, preferences, and perceptions about quality, quantity, pricing, familiarity with the brand, and the importance of healthy food options.

Data that Informed Our Designs

• High Purchase Frequency 60% of survey respondents purchased meals more than a few times a week These are generally young busy people who need quick and accessible meal options
• Focus on working professionals The student demographic showed a preference for cheaper meals, indicating that Giant Eagle's primary target market should be working professionals with higher disposable income
• Convenience and quality were the dominant factors influencing purchase decisions
• Health & Dietary Options 53% of survey respondents wanted to see healthy options in vending machines such as fruit, salads, and yogurt. This reaffirmed the need for meal options that prioritize health and accommodate dietary restrictions.
• Brand Loyalty Familiarity with Farmer’s Fridge and positive past experiences contributed significantly to user loyalty.

Design & Testing

We projected our vending machine prototype onto walls near where vending machines could potentially exist and stopped people passing by to interact with our prototype

Who? 10 participants on campus including students, faculty, and staff Why? - To assess interest in purchasing meals from a vending machine situated in-context - To determine meal preferences as well as optimal price points for each meal option - To understand the frequency and conditions under which users would order from the vending machine

Key Findings

Recommendations

• Marketing and Branding: To address the initial skepticism around getting food from a vending machine, we redesigned the vending machines with a fresh, trustworthy aesthetic and messaging.

• Explore partnerships: With universities and corporate campuses to share setup costs and utilize existing dining services to reduce overhead and leverage existing kitchen facilities. This allows organizations to easily invest in the well-being of their students and employees.

• Leverage data: To optimize inventory, stocking popular items based on location to reduce waste and minimize unsold inventory.

Storyboard

Impact

By implementing our solution, Giant Eagle strengthens its position as a market leader in convenience and healthy eating, capturing a larger share of the customer’s wallet by addressing key pain points

Our idea garnered enthusiasm from the UX Strategy Manager and the product managers at Giant Eagle who are currently evaluating its potential for implementation.

Reflection

If I had more time and resources to work on this project, I would have…

• Conducted research with more participants from the target demographic by offering incentives (was limited by the constraints of a class project)
• Conducted participatory and co-design sessions, including ideation workshops, to collaboratively develop the right solution
• Conducted multiple more rounds of concept testing and iterative refinement
• Launched a small-scale pilot to gather real-world data and customer feedback
• Thought more about the business needs and incorporated relevant business metrics to define success